The software was developed by the Australian arm of NCR and is being integrated into APTRA, the base software for NCR's ATMs. It allows Web-based capabilities, such as features and functions for http, url, html and xml.
-It will allow the ATM to be used as a delivery tool, a kind of kiosk," Ron De Pasquale, Financial Solutions Division NCR Australia, told ZDNet Australia. -For instance, you can order an airline ticket at an ATM, pay at the ATM, and find some information about where you're going to, for example what the weather is like."
Other functions that can be provided by the new system are voice technology, instant cash and cheque deposit, instant bill payment through barcode scanning, targeted ad campaigns, currency conversions, biometrics, basically anything a Web site can do.
-The only thing it can't do is handle your more complicated transactions which you might need a service assistant for," said De Pasquale. -But quite a number of transactions over the counter could be delivered on an ATM and offered 24/7."
Consumers will encounter the new system next year, as the ATMs are migrated from the old OS2 platform to a Windows-based platform. Some banks have already begun this process, such as Westpac, who have used the technology to introduce 'talking ATMs', to assist the visually impaired.
Although the ability to target advertisements to a very specific audience would have advertising agencies foaming at the mouth, De Pasquale does not believe we will see the ATM channel being used for this.
-The banks won't run outside advertising on their own Bank X ATM," he said. -Overseas banks who have tried that tend to lose their image because customers are not really touching other parts of their bank. Quite a lot of customers have no access to banks other than through soft service channels."
Instead, banks are likely to use the advertising capabilities of the new software to improve their image and brand recognition, and advertise their own products. However, advertising space may be made available on 'White ATMs'.
-White ATMS are ATMs that are deployed to sites that want ATM access but not a Bank X brand ATM, for example service stations," said De Pasquale. -They can run similar ads on the ATM as they do in the rest of the shop."
Security is another hot issue, and in six to 12 months banks will be implementing schemes to harden security. De Pasquale believes banks will introduce smart card in one to two years and will rely on that rather than implement biometric security, which is not cost efficient.
-We've developed the ability to scan the retina of users and recognise the user based on that rather than a PIN-based system," he said. -I don't know how a consumer would feel walking up to an ATM and getting his eyes scanned, I'm not sure I'd like it, as a consumer. There is one thing that banks are very much aware of, and that is privacy. That's probably one of the things that has held back the take-up of the new technology."
Banks also want to ensure people spend the minimum amount of time possible at ATMs, according to De Pasquale. -We developed a function that allows users to lodge a typical or favourite transaction and create a hot button so they only have to press one button rather than go through multiple screens and questions," he said.
